Military operations frequently need unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV's) to perform aerial surveillance over: (a) land areas which are under enemy or potential enemy control, or are unacceptably hazardous for manned operation because of a battle situation; and (b) over ocean areas beyond line-of-sight from ships not large enough or suitable for manned surveillance flights, or from larger ships because the surveillance task is too hazardous for manned operation. Simple operation from ships on the high seas and unprepared temporary land sites is an implicit requirement. The fundamental flight mode is loiter at at least modest altitudes, although significant range, dash speed, and altitude are needed for some applications. A variety of sensor packages are normally required, in some cases, e.g. UHF radar, requiring major volumes in the UAV to be specifically shaped and oriented with respect to the flight path.